When I'm Not Looking
by Inali Grimalkin
Summary: A series of 'perfect' drabbles that follow Brick in his attempt to prove to Blossom he's changed by getting to know the real her and discovering he might actually like what he finds. Reds.  Rated for hints at teenage thinking.
1. My oh My

**This story was inspired by one of my favourite songs, _Who're You When I'm Not Looking_ youtube (dot) com/ watch?v=0xXD9-1mLBY and at the moment I'm thinking there will be roughly ten chapters.**

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><p>"You don't know me Brick, stop acting like you do," Blossom hissed, taking off.<p>

"Rough dude," Buttercup commented dropping her skateboard.

"I don't get what she means, we've known each other since we were five. She still won't believe we've changed."

"She means you don't know the 'real' her. Blossom can hold a grudge a long time, she doesn't think you're serious and wants proof. She tries to see what's inside, unlike most people who only see her for her looks or her brains. "

"What am I not seeing?"

"Dunno. Blossom's really private, even with us. You just gotta figure it out."

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><p><strong>So, I've been reading a lot of Forthright lately and she often writes in small drabbles like this. I really thought it was neat so I thought I'd give it a try. All chapters in this story will clock in at exactly 100 words making it a "perfect" drabble. As usual, please review.<strong>


	2. Like a Pair of Bookends

**This chapter occurs a few days later.**

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><p>She was beautiful, he'd admit that, and just as smart as he was, if not more. She held herself gracefully, always with a smile and seemed polite and open with everyone. The more Brick watched however the more he wondered who she really was inside.<p>

"No one can really be that perfect all the time," he vented later to his brothers. "She keeps such a guard up though."

"Maybe you've just gotta 'happen' to run into her to see what she's like?" Boomer offered.

"Spy on her?"

"If it gets the job done," Butch offered with a shrug.

"Maybe just once," Brick relented.

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><p><strong>The great thing about short, 100 word chapters is I update way faster. As usual, please review.<strong>


	3. A Little Something on the Rocks

****Wow, three chapters in two days? There is definitely something to be said about shorter chapters.****

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><p>Brick sat in a tree across the street, eyes trained on the Utonium residence. For a long time he didn't see anything interesting. It wasn't until the professor, Buttercup and Bubbles left that things changed. The blinds were half closed, but Brick was still able to see a little from where he sat.<p>

To his surprise Blossom seemed to be drinking whiskey with ice and was sliding around the kitchen in her socks, singing to herself.

Not in a million years would he have though she'd ever do something like that, yet there she was. Maybe she wasn't so perfect after all.

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><p><strong><strong>So I figure this story is set during their last year of high school so the Girls are 17, if not newly 18 and the boys are a few months younger. And yes, Blossom is drinking alcohol *gasp*, but where I live the drinking age is 18 so it's normal for me. Though I suppose Townsville is in the States so drinking age is 21 (ha, I'm not legal in the States yet), oh well Blossom is a bit of a rule breaker behind closed doors. Besides, she's got powers so I doubt a bit of whiskey on the rocks is going to do much.<strong> As usual, please review.**


	4. Sink to Your Nose in a Bubblebath

******Sorry it took so long to post again ^^"  
><strong>****

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><p>Brick knocked on her door a week later, he heard some scrambles before Blossom opened the door.<p>

"What do you want?" she demanded, her expression dark.

"You forgot this," he handed her a notebook as he took in her appearance. Her hair was down, and from about her ears down was wet. He even spotted a few bubbles clinging to her hair and he realized she was wearing a fluffy pink bathrobe.

"Thanks," she said hesitantly. "Bye..." She closed the door and Brick listened to the sound of her walking away before he took off, the image of her floating in his mind.

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><p><strong>So this one took me a while cause I had no idea how to do this verse without him seeming like a creepy stalker, same thing with the next one. But I've got it all worked out. I'm debating, should I do one really long chapter at the end of everything? Leave me a review and let me know if you want a long chapter at the end or not.<br>**


	5. Do You Leave a Path?

******I'm so sorry! I'll try to make it up to everyone, and I decided that I will make a final chapter really long to reward everyone for their patience.  
><strong>****

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><p>Brick lay in bed that night and found her couldn't shake the image of Blossom, her long hair wet, from his mind. He began to wonder things about her that he had never considered before.<p>

He wondered if she was the type to leave a trail as she undressed; drop her hoodie at the door and leave her socks on the stairs.

Had he stopped to think about it before now, which he never would have, he would have thought of her as the kind to sort it before putting it in the basket, but now he wasn't so sure.

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><p><strong>As you can see Brick is starting to consider Blossom in a different way, he's seeing her in a way that could potentially become sexual. A way Brick has <em>never<em> considered her before.  
><strong>


	6. When You Get Mad

******In a vain attempt to make it up to everyone I'm posting as many chapters as I can.  
><strong>****

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><p>It was a few months before Brick had any other epiphanies, and for that he was glad. Something about this 'getting to know Blossom' venture unnerved him.<p>

He wasn't expecting to see Blossom on his way home that day, he would've passed by, but she was yelling about something. He landed softly on the roof of one of the abandoned warehouses and watched.

She cursed, threw things and broke a wall before finally taking off.

Brick didn't know what got her so angry, but he recognized the need to break things when angry. After all he did the same thing.

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><p><strong>So at this point Brick is starting to see their similarities moreso than their differences.<strong>

**((Also for those who remember my AN back in chapter three I am now officially legal in the States. My 21st birthday was in July.))  
><strong>


	7. Cause You're Feelin' Bad

It was February when Brick learned something new. He was walking past Blossom's house, a habit he had developed despite it not being on his way home, when he heard soft sniffles.

Frowning, he walked to the back porch and saw Blossom sitting on the steps, crying, with a box of chocolates on her lap.

"You okay, Red?"

"G'way," Blossom mumbled. To both of their surprise Brick sat down and put his arm around her. She caved, sobbing into his shoulder she explained that she was the only one alone on Valentine's.

"I'm alone too. We can be alone together."

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><p><strong>So, be honest, does Brick seem a little too ooc? I mean trying to show his growth in these drabbles is hard. By mu estimate it's been 6 months since he started watching Blossom and a couple years since he "turned good" Once I finish this story I'm thinking of doing another story (reds, greens and blues) that will be much longer (really full length chapters!) and will explain how the Boys became good and slowly how they fall for the Girls. Look out for the next chapter, it's my favourite line of the song.<strong>

**As usual please (for the love all things that are good!) review.  
><strong>


	8. Cause You Bite Your Nails

With May came warmer weather, shorter sleeves and summery shoes.

Brick and Blossom had begun sharing a table in the science lab, they were the only two who kept up with the other. During a lull in note taking Brick zoned out and found himself watching Blossom swing her legs, her toes painted a fluorescent pink.

When her right hand brushed his left as she wrote his attention shifted. Glancing at where their hands brushed he noticed Blossom's fingers were red and raw looking, her nails bitten down to the pink.

He wondered if she bit her nails from stress.

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><p><strong>So yeah, this line was my favourite in the song. No idea why lol ^^". Thanks to those who review, we're almost done. Three more 100 word chapters and then I'll do a nice, long final chapter. If there's anything you want to see happen let me know and I'll try to work it in.<br>**

**As usual please review.  
><strong>


	9. When All Else Fails

Brick sat on the hallway floor outside the locker rooms. He _wasn't_ waiting for Blossom he told himself, he just happened to be sitting outside the room she hadn't come out of yet. After school was over...

He listened carefully, trying to figure out what was taking so long.

"...Thanks Miss Keane, I needed a woman's advice." Brick frowned, advice about what? Made sense that she'd go to her kindergarten teacher though, the lady was the closest thing to a mother the girls had.

"C'mon," Blossom said, tucking her phone in her purse. She knew he had waited for her.

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><p><strong>We're almost done. Brick is at the stage where he considers Blossom a friend, and she considers him one too, he just doesn't want to think of it being more than that.<br>**

**As usual please review.  
><strong>


	10. When I'm not Around

They weren't walking home together, they just happened to be in the middle of a great conversation so Brick was taking the long way home. By long he meant, completely out of his way.

"I can't believe it's already June, so much has changed this year," Blossom sighed.

"Yeah."

"What will you do after graduation?" Brick shrugged, he had no clue. At the moment he wondered if they'd stay in touch. He liked and understood this side of Blossom and she finally trusted and liked him back.

"You should take a year off like I am, figure things out."

"Maybe."

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><p><strong>So I lied. NOW there are three more chapters before the last long one ^^"<br>**

**As usual please review.  
><strong>


	11. Door is Locked and the Shades are Down

"So I'll see you on Monday?"

"Yeah, see you," Brick replied awkwardly, having inexplicably walked her to her door. He watched her go inside and heard the soft click of the lock.

The shades were down and Brick found himself wondering what she was doing. It didn't matter anymore though, right? She trusted him and was even friendly; mission accomplished.

So why did he feel like something was still missing?

Brick made his way home and spent the next few evenings thinking of what Blossom had said and what he wanted to do.

_I want to know more about her._

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><p><strong>And Brick has now begun to realize that he actually cares for Blossom.<br>**

**As usual please review.  
><strong>


	12. Listen to Your Music Quietly

**Second last 100 word chapter!**

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><p>The last month of school was pretty pointless. The exams were done, they knew they were graduating, no point in coming.<p>

And yet Brick still showed up, because he knew Blossom would. That day he found her alone in the back of the library's second floor, headphones on even though no one was around.

"Hey, what're you doing?"

"Reading about volunteering in Africa."

"Why?"

"What I'm doing during my year off."

"So I won't see you?"

"No, after that I'm going to school." Brick read over her shoulder, Blossom had everything planned out, what was he doing with his life?

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><p><strong>Not much to say on this chapter, it;s pretty obvious as is the next one.<br>**

**As usual please review.  
><strong>


	13. When it Feels Just Right

**The last 100 word chapter!**

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><p>Brick stared at his ceiling, he still couldn't believe Blossom was leaving and he probably wouldn't see her again for a long time.<p>

In the months he had gotten to know her he grew to care about her, more than he wanted to admit.

Having her be on his mind was the norm. He told himself he'd needed to think about her, to understand her. Now he had no reason to, but she was always there.

He wondered if he'd see her before she left, if she'd miss him while she was gone... If she'd think about him at all. 

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><p><strong>So there you have it, the last chapter of the song portion of the story, a nice long chapter will follow shortly.<br>**

**As usual please review.  
><strong>


	14. I Wanna Know

**A real length chapter!**

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><p>Brick paused as he flew over the Utonium household the second last weekend of June, if it wasn't for his super human senses he might have missed the burning smell. Curious and a little worried, he landed on the doorstep and rang the bell. A muffled curse and the sound of scurrying, then a frazzled look Blossom opened the door.<p>

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied wrinkling his nose at the powerful smell. "Where is everyone?"

"My sisters are out at a track meet and the professor is at a conference."

"So you decided to burn down your house?"

"No! I'm making myself dinner..."

"Move aside," he told her with a sigh. To his surprise she complied and shut the door softly behind him. Making his way to the kitchen he found a sight so disastrous that if he didn't know better he would have thought a war had been waged. "What were you even trying to make?" he asked poking at a charred something.

"Pizza," Blossom said sheepishly. Brick shook his head in disbelief.

"You tried making a pizza from scratch?"

"No, it was frozen." Brick stared in shock. He couldn't even fathom how someone could possibly mess up frozen pizza this badly.

"How long is everyone gone?"

"Buttercup and Bubbles will be back Sunday night and the professor is back Tuesday... Buttercup and Bubbles usually cook when the professor isn't home." That meant she'd have to fend for herself all Saturday and most of Sunday.

"Okay, you clean up the kitchen and throw out... That. Probably should take it out so it doesn't smell and I'll be back in a bit. You allergic to anything?"

"What? Um, no?"

"Perfect, I'm gonna borrow these. See you in about an hour, 'kay?" Brick said as he picked Blossom's keys off the table while she nodded, confused.

Locking the door behind him he took off and headed home.

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><p>"Guys, I'll be out for a couple days. You got my number if you need me," he told his brothers quickly as he made his way to his room to pack a couple changes of clothes.<p>

"Where you goin'?" Butch asked pausing his game and looking over the back of the couch.

"Staying with Blossom," Brick replied, grabbing his toothbrush.

"Ha! I win, pay up!" Brick heard Boomer demand as he left.

Slinging his bag onto his shoulder Brick then headed to the nearest grocery store and bought what he'd need for the next couple days. He left the basics, he was sure the Utonium fridge had plenty of that and if not he could always do a grocery run if he really needed something. Deciding he had everything he quickly paid and flew back to Blossom's house.

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><p>"I'm back!" he called as he let himself in, the mess was gone and all he could smell was lemon scented cleaner.<p>

"What's that?" Blossom asked, she seemed to have regained her composure.

"Groceries, and stuff for me," he told her dropping his back pack over the side of the couch. "Come on, I'll teach you my secret pizza recipe."

To his surprise Blossom was open to learning and before long they were eating the fruit of their labour together while channel surfing.

"What do you want to watch?"

"Um, it doesn't matter. We have a bunch of movies, you can pick something if you want." Brick got up and checked the movies, they didn't seem to be organized in anyway

"Brick, why did you do all this?" He shrugged, his original reason seemed like a lifetime ago.

"I guess I was just curious on who you were when I wasn't looking."

"And?" she asked, Brick glanced up, surprised to see her so close; he hadn't even heard her move.

"I liked what I saw." He felt it before he realized what had happened. Blossom's lips were soft, a little chapped but not too bad. He could even taste a hint of orange lip gloss. _Huh, woulda figured her for raspberry, _was the last coherent thought he had before the adrenaline rush kicked in and everything became a mess of limbs and kisses.

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><p>"Brick?"<p>

"I thought you fell asleep." They had moved onto the couch and while he was disappointed to see their make out session end he decided it was for the best, he didn't want to go too far after everything he'd gone through to get to know her.

So they'd put in some classic horror movies and he let Blossom snuggle up next to him.

"No, I was just thinking."

"'bout?"

"Africa." Brick kept quiet, this was when she'd tell him they couldn't do this because she was leaving. He felt his stomach sink a little; he had hoped to forget about her leaving for a bit. "You should come."

"Yeah, I understand- Wait, what?"

"I said you should come. I'll be going down to be a teacher's assistant for the most part, but I'll be helping anyway I can, I know for sure I'll be spending some time at a women's and children centre."

"What would _I_ do there? I don't exactly have a stellar track record."

"You any good with your hands?" He quirked his eyebrow at her her. "That was _not_ what I meant." she rolled her eyes, but Brick hear a little giggle escape.

"I'm alright I guess. I know machinery and stuff cause of Mojo and in juvie we had to do a lot of woodshop."

"They need someone to teach mechanics and they always use extra hands to help in the fields or building things."

"Maybe."

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><p>Brick glanced up and watched Blossom for a moment; she loved it here, he could tell. At the moment he was teaching some of the village women basic self defense.<p>

"Hou op droom!Terug na werk!"*

"Ja, ja ek hoor jy het,"** he called back as he returned to the framework he was in process of building. Five months ago he hadn't been sure, but now he couldn't imagine not being where he was. No one judged him for what his past held, and best of all he didn't have to worry about missing Blossom.

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><p><strong>So, what do you all think? Cheesy? Kinda? ^^" that's okay, after all that dragging out Brick deserved some happiness (and face time) with Blossom. I've got a Greens fic already posted and am tossing around a few ideas for a new fic, not sure what it'll be called or when I'll be posting it but keep a look out for it. Reds, Greens and Blues are there pairings. I'm also in the process of thinking up and Elmer x Buttercup (unrequited) oneshot.<br>**

**Thanks to Google Translate**

***"Stop Day dreaming! Back to work!"**

****"Yeah, yeah I hear you"  
><strong>

**One last time, please review.  
><strong>


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